OPTICAL PROPERTIES IMPROVEMENT OF STEEL SLAG GLASS AND THEIR IONIZING RADIATION AND NEUTRON SHIELDING PROPERTIES

In this research, steel slag glass (SSG) system in formula (70-x)steel slag: 20Na2O: 10CaO: xB2O3 where x = 0, 10, 20, 30, 40, and 50 w% were prepared by using conventional melt quenching method at 1,200°C and investigated physical, optical, ionizing radiation (uncharged and charged particles) and neutron shielding properties. Experimental on shielding properties of uncharged particles (g-rays) were carried out with 22Ba, 137Cs and 60Co sources at photon energies from 80-1332 keV while theoretical calculations were carried out with the WinXCom program. The results of g-rays shielding for both processes are good agreements and the 70steel slag: 20Na2O: 10CaO glass sample is excellent shielding compared with in glass system. In addition, all glass samples are better g-rays shielding compared to some standard shielding materials. While charged particles (proton: H+, alpha particles: He2+) shielding properties of the SSG system have been evaluated using the SRIM program while electron particles were using the ESTAR program. The results found that mass stopping power (MSP) and project range (PR) of proton and alpha particles while electron total stopping power (TSP) and Continues Slowing Down Approximation (CSDA) for 70steel slag: 20Na2O: 10CaO glass sample was excellent charged particles shielding glass. Also, SSG’s fast and thermal neutron shielding have been evaluated and discussed. The results indicated that the SSG system had the potential to develop transparent and Pb-free shielding material.